wobensmith



Feb. 7, 1956 J. c. WOBENSMITH 2,733,900

PAINT MIXER Filed Dec. 23, 1953 llHlHl 'l IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent PAINT IVIIXER James C. Wbensmith,Philadelphia, Pa.

Application December- 23, 1953, Serial N0."3-99,901

9-Claims. .(Cl. 259-135) This invention relates to paint mixers, :and it relates more particularly to a device adapted to be mounted in the chuck of a power operated tool to rotate .thesame for the purpose ofstirring and mixing paint and the like.

Aconsiderable quantityof paint is purchased in cans of various sizes by amateurs as well as other .users. Such paint, even when originally purchased, has to .befstirred to bring the same to the :proper :condition'for application to a surface to be :painted. Home users of paint frerquently purchase cans of larger size than are required for immediate use. Such cans, with the unused :paint therein, are then placed upon shelves Where the componentparts of the paint separate, and the he'avy'materials sink :to the bottom, leaving'the thinner and lighter materials at the top ofrthe can.

.Also, in some instances .a skin willrformxupon-the top of the paint when the can containing the same is placed upon :a shelf for subsequent use. When persons, even having some experience, attempt .to remove such skins, portions of the "same remain .inthe paint and subsequently are applied to the surface being painted to the annoyance of'thepa'inter. The stirring of paint in the can, particularlywhen a partly usedcanha's been standing for a considerable period of time, is quite difficult, and when .tthepa'ddles ordinarily provided for that purpose are used, in many instances the paint is not brought to .the proper "condition "for applicationto thesur faces. to be painted.

However, in .these times, :most :of the amateur paint users, as well .as .=the professionals, are provided with varioustypes'ofipower'operated"to0ls,.'such:as tlrillpresses, motor driven flexible shafts, and electrical hand irnot'ors, each provided with a suitable chuck in which the device of the presentinvention may be mounted for use. Notwithstanding the needrforaaxpaint stirringdevice for home use has long been recognized, and notwithstanding .that various attempts have been made to supply, with elecnevertheless, none of these devices has been :found lin practice to be satisfactory.

The principal object ithereforeiof "the present invention is to provide a simple anduseful device, adaptedtto be operated at a high rate of speed 'by means of a suitable motor driven tool, which device, when inserted in a can of paint in which the heavy constituents have settled to the bottom, will quickly bring the paint to the proper condition for use.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device, of the character aforesaid, which will be very efficient in its action, but inexpensive in its construction.

The nature and characteristic features of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, in which:

.Figure 1 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, showing a device embodying the main features of the present invention, the same being shown mounted 2,733,900 Patented Feb. 7, 1956 2 in :an electrical drill, .and in operative position within a can containing a quantity of'paint .tobe mixed; and

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view, on a larger scale, of the device detached.

It should, of course, be understood'thatth'e description and "drawing herein are illustrative merely and that various modifications and :changes maybe made in the 'structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referriingnow more particularly to Fig. .1 of the :drawing in which 10'representsaipaint'can "of an ordinary type containing a quantity of .paint in which the heavy par ticles 12'havese'ttled to the bottom, and the thinner oils or other vehicle 11 have 'separated to the top, 20 is an electrical .hand drill, .of a common and well known type, with a chuck 21 in which the shank portion of the device of the present invention "isssecured.

The 'device of the presentiinvention is'preferablyimade of a single integralpiece ofrod-or heavy wire. The lower :or freeen'dof the device is coiled as at .30 in a righthand thread formation of approximately three or four convolutions. Above the right-hand thread formation, the direction of the convolutions'is changed to provide a 0011, the .convolutions of which are of aleft-thread'formation as at 31, and these convolutions are :provided in a larger number so as normally to extend to or above the top level of the paint to be stirred.

The coiled portions 30 and T31 of the device, and more particularly, 'the coil 31, arepreferably of variable pitch whereby the agitation and mixing of the paint will be greatly "enhanced.

A straight shank extends from the upper end of the left hand coil 31, which shank 32--is adapted to be gripped in the chuck Zlof-apoweroperated tool, such as an electrical hand tdr ill 20, or in a chuck of a drill press, -.or even in a chuck at the end of a power driven flexible shaft.

.lt'wi-llbe noted that when the convolutionsaof the coils 30 and 31 of the device change from the right-hand thread formation to the left-hand thread formation there will-be aU-shaped-bendSS which has been found in practice to function i n -a,peculiar manner.

When the device is to be used in a power operated tool, such as an electrical "hand drill which rotates ataJhigh rate of speed, the coils of .the device should not be of too large-a diameter for the most efficient operation.

It has been found that a device'aof the present invention made of a one-eighth of an inch rod, with the coils wound on a .-half-inch mandrel, results in the formation :Of an efiicient and properlyoperat-ingztool.

When it is desired to use the device for mixing and stirring paint within'a can, the straightshank portion 32, is gripped in the chuck 2'1 of apower operatedtool such, for example, asthechuck 21 of an electrical hand drill -20, as shown in Fig. l'of the drawing.

The device being caused to rotate, at the normal high speed ofthe drill, .is-then.insertedinthe paint-within the can until the end of the portion of the right-hand coil 30 touches the bottom. The device is then moved around in the can, always keeping the lower end of the righthand coil portion 30 at or near the bottom of the can, whereby the coil 30 will cause the heavy particles at the bottom of the can to be raised and pushed upwardly and, at the same time, the lighter oils or vehicle of the paint, which is engaged by the left-hand coil portion 31 will be impelled downwardly and thus cause a rapid and complete mixture of the various portions of the paint.

It will be found that in the use of the device the time required for a thorough admixture of the various components of the paint will be greatly reduced, as compared with the common method of stirring by means of wooden paddles. r

When the stirring of the paint has been completed, the device is raised out of the paint while still running and it will be found that the upper portion of the device, if not removed too rapidly from the paint, will substantially clean itself, and such paint as remains upon the lower portion of the device may be quickly removed by inserting the device, while still running, in a small tin can containing turpentine or kerosene.

' A peculiar effect has been observed in the use of'the device in that foreign materials, such as brush bristles, and certain paint skins which might not have been sufficiently removed at the beginning of the operation, will be carried to and caught in the U-shaped bend 33 of the device, from which the same maybe readily and easily removed, so that the device will not only function to stir and mix the paint thoroughly, but will also operate to remove certain of the foreign materials which might be quite bothersome if left in the paint.

I claim:

1. A device for mixing and stirring paint within a container comprising a single integral rod having a lower end portion coiled in a right-hand thread formation, a portion above the same coiled in a left-hand thread formation, said coiled portions being of a relatively small and uniform diameter from end to end thereof, and a straight shank extending upwardly therefrom and adapted to be gripped in the chuck of a power operated tool for rapid rotation of the coiled portions in the paint.

2. A device for mixing and stirring paint within a container comprising a single integral rod having a lower end portion coiled in a right-hand thread formation, a longer portion above the same coiled in a left-hand thread formation, said coiled portions being of a relatively small and uniform diameter from end to end thereof, and a straight shank extending upwardly therefrom and adapted to be gripped in the chuck of a power operated tool for rapid rotation of the coiled portions in the paint.

3. A device for mixing and stirring paint within a container comprising a single integral rod having a lower end portion coiled in a right-hand thread formation, a portion above the same coiled in a left-hand thread formation, said coiled portions being of a relatively small and uniform diameter from end to end thereof, and a straight shank extending upwardly therefrom and adapted to be gripped in the chuck of a power operated tool for rapid rotation of the coiled portions in the paint, the coils being united to each other by a U-bend.

4. A device for mixing and stirring paint within a container comprising a single integral rod having a lower end portion coiled in a right-hand thread formation, a portion above the same coiled in a left-hand thread formation, and a straight shank extending upwardly therefrom and adapted to be gripped in the chuck of a power operated tool for rapid rotation of the coiled portions in the paint, the coils each being of relatively small and uniform diameter from end to end thereof.

5. A device for mixing and stirring paint within a container comprising a single integral rod having a lower end portion coiled in a right-hand thread formation, a longer portion above the same coiled in a left-hand thread formation, said coiled portions being of a relatively small and uniform diameter from end to end thereof, and a straight shank extending upwardly therefrom and adapted to be gripped in the chuck of a power operated tool for rapid rotation of the coiled portions in the paint, the coils of the longer upper portion at least being of variable pitch.

6. A device for mixing and stirring paint within a container comprising a single integral rod having a lower end portion coiled in a right-hand thread formation, a longer portion above the same coiled in a left-hand formation, said coiled portions being of a relatively small and uniform diameter from end to end thereof, and a straight shank extending upwardly therefrom and adapted to be gripped in the chuck of a power operated tool for rapid rotation of the coiled portions in the paint, the coils each being of variable pitch.

7. A device for mixing and stirring paint within a container comprising a single integral rod having a lower end portion coiled in a right-hand thread formation, a longer portion above the same coiled in a left-hand thread formation, said coiled portions being of a relatively small and uniform diameter from end to end thereof, and a straight shank extending upwardly therefrom and adapted to be gripped in the chuck of a power operated tool for rapid rotation of the coiled portions in the paint, the coils each being of variable pitch, and united to each other by a U-bend.

8. A device for mixing and stirring paint within a container comprising a single integral rod having a lower end portion coiled in a right-hand thread formation, a longer portion above the same coiled in a left-hand thread formation, and a straight shank extending upwardly therefrom and adapted to be gripped in the chuck of a power operated tool for rapid rotation of the coiled portions in the paint, the coils each being of variable pitch, and of relatively small and uniform diameter from end to end thereof.

9. A device adapted for mixing and stirring paint within a container comprising a single integral rod having a lower end portion coiled in a right-hand thread formation, a longer portion above the same coiled in a lefthand thread formation, and a straight shank extending upwardly therefrom and adapted to be gripped in the chuck of a power operated tool for rapidly rotating the coiled portions in the paint, the coils each being of variable pitch, of relatively small and uniform diameter from end to end thereof, and united to each other by a U-bend.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 733,763 Stevens July 14, 1903 1,783,437 Laib Dec. 2,1930 2,577,896 Kinton Dec. 11, 1951 2,639,904 McMaster et al May 26, 1953 V FOREIGN PATENTS 10,287 Great Britain May 28, 1894 

